Cops ready murder raps vs killers of school exec, tribal leaders

By BEN SERRANO
Correspondent

BUTUAN City––The police director of Surigao del Sur yesterday said murder charges were being prepared against suspects in the Sept. 1 killings of a tribal school director and two others in an outlying village in Lianga town.

Surigao del Sur police director Senior Supt. Narciso Verdadero said the charges would be filed anytime soon as eight witnesses signed affidavits against the suspects.

Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel earlier identified the suspects as one Loloy and Bobby Tejero, and Garate Layno, members of the militia group “Magahat Force” allegedly headed by Calpet Egua.

Police linked the group to the killings of Emerito Samarca, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Livelihood Development (Alcadev); Dionel Campos, chairman of the Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa Sumusunod (Mapasu), and cooperative member Aurelio Sinzo in Lianga town.

The victims were hogtied, hanged, and brutally killed in the school and cooperative office. Samarca was repeatedly stabbed in the chest, and his throat was slit open. The other victims were repeatedly shot to the head.

Verdadero said the three suspects would be included the the murder complaint being finalized by authorities. He said police would also press arson charges because portions of the tribal school Alcadev and cooperative were burned.
“We want an air-tight case against the suspects,” Verdadero said.

Verdadero said police tried to get in touch with Egua because he is allegedly the leader of Magahat Force, and because authorities wanted a dialogue with indigenes. He said Egua’s last known address was Manhulayan, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

Eliza Rose Pangilinan, secretary general of the human rights watchdog Karapatan in Caraga, said Egua’s group along with soldiers, and members of another groups identified with one Marcos Bocales and Marcial Belandres have allegedly forced hundreds of villagers from Lianga, San Agustin, San Miguel and Tago, to evacuate to safer grounds in Tandag city because of their “occupations.”